Chapter 44 – You're talking about a new apartment from the New Year!?

The mееting spot wаs in front of Маshirо’s hоusе.

Nоt becаuse she sаid sо, but beсаusе I sреcifiеd it for mу junior’s safеtу.

Еvеn though it was Nеw Yeаr’s, it was still the middle оf thе night after the datе hаd changed.

“Brrr, so соld.”

I wrapped my sсаrf, bundled up in mу cоаt, stuffеd mу hands in my poсkets, and hеаdеd for the dеstinаtiоn.

I thought my bоdy would wаrm up since I had а dеcent wаlk аheаd, but nopе—still freezing.

“If onlу I cоuld trаnsform into Ignite Form at timеs like this, I’d bе wаrm… Вut I cаn’t let Mаshirо sеe me. Wаit, hold оn? Whаt if I just саmе clеаn, sо I cоuld stаy as Spice all the time…?”

That’s when it hit me.

“No, no, no. Would I really risk ruining a relationship just for a little temporary warmth? Well, Mashiro probably wouldn’t care at all… Hmm. I’ll table this for now and discuss it with the Grimoires later.”

While muttering to myself like that, I arrived at Mashiro’s house.

I rang the doorbell, and there was a pattering of footsteps.

The door opened, and there stood Mashiro in a pink kimono.

I was stunned.

Her hair was done up in a sort of updo, with something like a hairpin stuck in it.

She had a fluffy, scarf-like thing wrapped around her collar—I wondered what that fluffiness actually was.

The kimono pattern was plum blossoms, I think?

“A-ah, Happy New Year, Senpai.”

“Happy New Year.”

“…So, how do I look?”

“I’m surprised. Ah, it suits you. You look pretty cute, don’t you think?”

“R-really…?! Mufufu.”

Mashiro let out a happy little snort through her nose.

What’s she so pleased about?

Equipped with clacking footwear, and for some reason seen off by her parents, we headed out for our first shrine visit of the year.

“Why the send-off…? Are they trying to pave the way for me or something?”

“N-no, that’s not it at all. It’s just that at university, my relationships only lasted a moment and fell apart before they could develop, with guys saying ‘You’re too clingy with all the messages,’ so the fact that I’ve been close with you, Senpai, for so long has given my parents a sliver of hope… or something like that. It’s really none of their business, desu.”

Are you sure about that~?

Seems like Mashiro’s parents are the type to meddle in their daughter’s future.

Mashiro seems annoyed by it too, but this time, I get the feeling they’re completely in cahoots!

My intuition is sharp.

Anyway, to get to the shrine we’re aiming for, we need to take the train two stops.

Since it’s Tokyo, two stops isn’t far, but I’d rather not walk in this cold if I can help it.

Incidentally, that shrine isn’t too far from my house.

Which means, to pick up Mashiro, I deliberately went away from the shrine, and even though it’s close to my house, I ended up having to take the train. That kind of thing.

Well, it’s fine for New Year’s.

“Senpai, here, as thanks for making you take the train with me, desu.”

At the station vending machine, Mashiro treated me to some sweet sake.

“Ah, warm. This is the kind of thing that makes me happy.”

“I like sweet sake too, desu ne. You don’t get drunk from it.”

“You usually drink until you pass out, though.”

“I-in public, that happens, so at university I only drank one cup, desu!”

“So you can’t drink more than two cups unless you’re with someone you feel comfortable with… That’s a pretty tough restriction.”

But she always drinks more than two cups when she’s with me…

…I feel like I’m overlooking something here…!?

If Flota and Ignite were here, they’d probably make some unnecessary comment about that oversight.

We drank our sweet sake while waiting for the train, then boarded with a crowd of other first-visit worshippers.

All the other passengers were headed for the mountain shrine further ahead.

We arrived at the terminal station, and most people transferred to the next train.

We got off here.

A nearby shrine is just fine.

We tossed our sweet sake cans in the trash and left the station.

It’s a strange sight—usually, this time would be dead quiet, but there are tons of people out for their first shrine visit.

Even in a world struck by the Dungeon Calamity, this scene, reminiscent of old videos, remains unchanged.

There’s a theory that first shrine visits are prayers, so Dungeons are less likely to appear there.

I don’t know if it’s true, but I hope it is.

“Senpai, Senpai.”

“What’s up?”

“Look. That apartment building you were looking for, desu? I heard that one has really good soundproofing and is recommended, desu. And it’s super cheap right now, desu yo.”

“When did you get that info…?! And soundproofing…?”

“During the big cleanup the other day, you had recording equipment and stuff, didn’t you, desu ka? I thought it might be useful for various things—”

“I see… And why is it so cheap?”

“Apparently, my dad heard from a friend in the business that it’s a property where Dungeonization happened and people died.”

“Ah, I get it.”

That’s a steal!

For an ordinary person, maybe, but for me, a Streamer and a Witch, it’s not a downside at all.

It’s an apartment where the aftermath was properly handled; all that remains is the bad reputation.

Alright, I’ll move there!!

I gratefully decided to take her up on the offer.

Seems like Mashiro’s father will handle the mediation, too.

…Why are they being so kind to me…?

Are they trying to fill in the moat too?

After that, we climbed the shrine’s ridiculously long stone steps, paid our respects at the main hall…

And then found ourselves in the shrine grounds, agonizing over whether to get sweet sake or pork soup.

“If there’s any chance the alcohol content is decent and Mashiro gets wobbly, I’ll be the one taking her home on the train. Let’s go with pork soup.”

“Grrr, I resent my weak tolerance for alcohol, desu.”

Well, after we get back and sleep, it’s time to prepare for the new outfit reveal.

This might be the last big event at my current apartment.